Stonehenge
The world’s most famous prehistoric stone circle.
Stonehenge stands on Salisbury Plain about two miles west of Amesbury. It was built in stages over some 1,500 years, starting around 3100 BC with a circular bank and ditch; the great ring of sarsen stones, capped with lintels held by mortise-and-tenon joints, went up around 2600–2400 BC, with smaller bluestones, some brought from Wales, arranged inside. The monument lines up with sunrise at the summer solstice and sunset at the winter solstice.
Stonehenge is part of a World Heritage Site and is managed by English Heritage, while the National Trust owns much of the surrounding land. Visitors start at the visitor centre designed by Denton Corker Marshall, which opened in December 2013 on land north of the monument after the old A344 road beside the stones was closed. It has an exhibition on prehistoric life, including the remains of a man who lived around 5,500 years ago, and a recreated Neolithic village.
Highlights
- Sarsen circle and trilithons
- Solstice alignment
- Visitor centre exhibition on prehistoric life
- Recreated Neolithic village
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